This invention relates, in general, to waveguides, and more particularly, to a method of fabricating an optical waveguide.
Optical fibers are used to enhance high speed communications such as chip to chip, board to chip, board to board, and even computer to computer communications. The use of optical fibers requires the use of optical devices such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). However, optical devices are often not directly attached to optical fibers. Instead, an optical waveguide is used to couple the optical device to the optical fiber. With the continuing efforts of device integration to produce smaller and more compact systems, the size of optical devices, waveguides, and fibers need to be reduced as well.
Conventional methods of manufacturing larger waveguides cannot be extended to manufacture miniature waveguides having a channel or core diameter on the order of hundreds of microns or smaller and having a channel or core length on the order of 2 centimeters or larger.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method of fabricating an optical waveguide which is simple, manufacturable, cost efficient, and produces a reliable waveguide.